


sticky notes

by homeformyheart_jen



Series: 28 Dates with Unit Bravo (February 2021) [6]
Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:00:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29241708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/homeformyheart_jen/pseuds/homeformyheart_jen
Summary: regina leaves adam with a sweet valentine’s-themed note after he escorts her home. for day 6 (decoration) of the #28 dates with unit bravo challenge.
Relationships: Female Detective/Adam du Mortain
Series: 28 Dates with Unit Bravo (February 2021) [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142516
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: 28 Dates with Unit Bravo (February 2021)





	sticky notes

**Author's Note:**

> author’s note: i just thought the idea of adam keeping a secret valentine’s day-themed message to himself would be a cute image, so enjoy!  
> copyright: all characters, except my oc detective, are owned by mishka jenkins @seraphinitegames.  
> series/pairing: the wayhaven chronicles – adam du mortain x f!detective (regina bishop)  
> rating/warnings: k+; fluff  
> word count: 1.5k  
> based on/prompt: day 6 – decoration from #28dateswithunitbravo challenge by @wayhavenmonthly

**_sticky notes_ **

regina rummaged around her purse until she felt the large, gaudy, heart-shaped charm at the end of a keychain. she inserted the key into the padlock, swinging the door open to the storage shed next to haley’s house, and used the flashlight on her phone to peer into the darkness of the room.

she shuffled inside after making sure there wasn’t anything on the floor that would trip her up, adam following close behind her.

“please explain to me why you are breaking into your friend’s home?” he asked, hands shoved deep into his coat pocket as he wrinkled his nose at the crowded, musty-smelling space.

“haley asked if i could pick up something for valentine’s day at the bakery. you could’ve waited outside,” she said pointedly, swinging her phone from side to side to examine the shelves.

“and what if someone had come after you? we’ve established that anywhere could be dangerous for you. i am here for your protection,” adam said firmly, his tone softening at the end in a way that made regina think that wasn’t the only reason. especially since he could still probably protect her from the driveway.

but she knew by now not to push him further on it. being patient was not her strong suit, but she was going to try and take farah’s advice, for all that it was worth.

“i do not understand why _you_ have to do this. first of all, i do not think you should be encouraging the shop owner in her desires to test the boundaries of safety by changing her décor as often as she does. and secondly, as detective of this town, you have much more important duties to attend to,” adam grumbled.

regina chuckled as she began opening a few drawers and inspecting them briefly for the stickers that haley had specifically asked for. “first of all, you already know haley’s stance on that. and secondly, she’s not bothering me, i offered to swing by at the end of my patrol since it’s on the way home.”

adam put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. regina tensed at his sudden touch, heart beginning to hammer in her chest as she steeled herself to look up at him. the moonlight behind him cast a large shadow that hid every part of him except his hair and eyes, the green in them so full of tenderness and concern that it made her breath catch.

“why? why would you endanger yourself willingly like that?” he whispered, his voice strained as though he wanted to say more but for some reason was holding back.

“i don’t think doing a favor for a friend counts as endangerment. haley and i have been friends a long time and we trust each other. she asked me if i could pick something up for her if i was going to pass her house since she’s out of town. it’s not a big deal,” she said softly. “you worry too much.”

regina gripped her phone tighter to keep from thinking about how he hadn’t removed his hand from her shoulder and how she desperately wished she could somehow delay his realization of that.

his shoulders deflated and he let out a sigh. “i suppose i must keep worrying for the both of us,” he murmured, shoving his hands back into his coat pockets. “and make sure you don’t go off on your own without protection.”

a cold air of disappointment settled over them both, replacing the tingling warmth she felt from his hand just moments before. she never did well with awkward silences and swung back around to resume her search, waving her phone around haphazardly as a distraction, barely lingering on any one spot long enough for her to see anything in detail.

“you know that i can take care of myself,” she muttered. adam’s use of the word “protection” was starting to grate on her nerves. but maybe she could turn things back on him.

regina pretended to walk to the other side of the room to examine a nearby shelf, noticing in her peripherals that his gaze followed even though his feet did not.

“when are you going to just admit that you want to spend time with me?” she called out, avoiding his gaze and holding her breath. she wasn’t sure where she got the courage to flirt openly with him, since their track record proved that the likelihood of him shutting her down was incredibly high.

“this is not what i would consider valuable time spent together,” adam responded with a shrug of his shoulders. “lurking about in a stranger’s shed.”

maybe it was the darkness and knowing that she could face away from him that gave her the boost she needed. “we’re not lurking and haley’s not a stranger, but that’s fair. then how about admitting that you just can’t be away from me?” she teased, her voice tinged with hope as she moved to another shelf, angling her body so she could observe his reaction without making direct eye contact.

adam opened his mouth as if to protest but then closed it immediately as if he decided better of it. he gave her a long look before turning away and walking back outside the shed. regina blinked in surprise before the familiar signs of hope sprouted in her chest. she shook her head to push the thoughts out of her mind and resume looking for the colored sticky notes that haley wanted.

“found them!” she called out as she picked up the bright pink pack of sticky notes with various valentine’s-themed messages written on them like “with love,” “be my valentine,” and “be mine.” she smiled as she read a few examples, the notes even had space for someone to sign or write a personalized message.

 _very cute_ , she thought to herself as she pulled out a few and stuffed them in her pocket to take home with her before walking out of the shed and locking the door.

“this is the end of my patrol—” regina started, taking a step away from adam down the driveway.

he quickly moved to stand next to her. “i will escort you home,” his tone was as resolute as ever, so she just shrugged and kept walking.

the brief walk back to her apartment was silent but not as awkward as the tension between them earlier. her fingers wrapped around the notes she had stuffed into her pocket, the messages written on them swirling around in her mind. before she knew it, they were in front of her door, standing awkwardly as though waiting for the other to say something first.

“goodnight, detective,” adam said softly, giving her a stiff nod before turning on his heel.

“wait,” regina called out quietly. he paused and turned back to look at her.

she rifled through her purse for a pen and grabbed one of the sticky notes from her pocket, scribbling on it quickly against the door before closing the gap between them.

she carefully lifted the lapel of his coat so she could place the sticky on his shirt, above his heart. adam tried to look down at the note but she quickly covered it, rubbing her hand down the fabric to make sure it stayed in place.

“something for you to remember tonight by,” she murmured, mustering the last remnants of courage from earlier to look him in the eyes. “wait until you get back to read it, please.”

regina gave him a small smile before turning back to her apartment. adam watched the darkness of her living room swallow her up, but not before she gave him a small wave.

it didn’t take him long to get back to the warehouse, which was comfortably quiet given the late hour and he trudged slowly back to his room, replaying the evening’s events in his mind. he knew he was still pushing regina away, potentially hurting her in the process, but something about tonight felt different. as though she was coming to expect it and to his puzzlement, understand him.

which ironically, was what he was trying to avoid.

he took off his coat and peeled off the bright pink, heart-shaped note on his shirt so that he could take a closer look.

“you’re mine,” was printed in loopy, cursive letters. he would normally scoff at such a sentimental statement being reduced to a childish display of commercialism, but regina’s handwriting at the bottom changed everything about it.

all she did was simply sign her name.

and he knew, deep down, that she was right.

adam fought the urge to crumple up the note and throw it out, to avoid any more reminders of the dangers of getting closer to the detective. instead, he carefully picked up the picture frame on his nightstand, a simple black frame outlining the photo they had to take while undercover at the carnival and placed the sticky note firmly on the top right corner.

he ran his finger over the note to make sure it stayed in place, lingering over the way her signature looped and dipped across the paper.

he may still be unwilling to indulge in his emotions, especially outwardly in front of others’, but here, in the privacy of his room, he could let himself enjoy this moment.

**Author's Note:**

> i appreciate any comments you may have - to find this on tumblr, feel free to check out my writing/art reblogs @homeformyheart.


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